Top Specialty Foods Win sofi Awards at New York Show

Raspberry Rhubarb Goat Milk Caramels from Big Picture Farm in Townshend, Vt., is the winner of the sofi for outstanding new product of 2015. The confection is one of 33 winners in the annual competition that honors excellence across all specialty food categories. 

The winners were announced June 29 at a red-carpet awards ceremony at the 61st Summer Fancy Food Show in New York. Ted Allen, host of Food Network’s “Chopped,” delivered a keynote address, and the gold sofi chef statues were handed out by Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, a popular “Chopped” judge. 

This year’s winners were selected from 2,715 entries across 32 awards categories. The final voting ended at the show. A sofi is considered the top accolade in the $109 billion specialty food industry. sofi stands for specialty outstanding food innovation. 

The winners were: 

Outstanding Appetizer, Antipasto, or Hors d’Oeuvres 

Lone Mountain Wagyu: 100% Fullblood Wagyu Beef Summer Sausage 

Outstanding Baking Ingredient, Baking Mix, or Flavor Enhancer  

Sutter Buttes Natural and Artisan Foods: Blood Orange Olive Oil Brownie Kit 

Outstanding Bread, Muffin, Granola, or Cereal 

Callies Charleston Biscuits: Cheese and Chive Biscuits 

Outstanding Cheese  

Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.: Bay Blue 

Outstanding Chocolate 

Laurie & Sons: Dangerously Delicious Black Licorice Chocolate Toffee 

Outstanding Classic Product  

Vermont Creamery: Cultured Butter Sea Salt Basket 

Outstanding Cold Beverage  

Owl’s Brew: White and Vine 

Outstanding Condiment  

Sir Kensington’s: Special Sauce 

Outstanding Confection 

Big Picture Farm: Goat Milk Chai Caramels 

Outstanding Cookie Brownie, Cake, or Pie  

Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery: Organic Molten Chocolate Cake - Dark Decadence 

Outstanding Cooking, Dipping, or Finishing Sauce  

TIE CHarissa: Authentic Moroccan Seasoning, Kitchens of Africa: Zanzibar 

Outstanding Cracker  

Grains of Health: Laiki Black Rice Crackers 

Outstanding Dairy or Dairy Alternative Product  

Bellwether Farms: Blackberry Sheep Milk Yogurt 

Outstanding Dessert Sauce, Topping, or Syrup  

Coop’s MicroCreamery: Salted Caramel Sauce 

Outstanding Foodservice Product  

Crown Maple: Grade A Very Dark Color Strong Taste Maple Syrup  

Outstanding Frozen Savory  

Callie’s Charleston Biscuits: Country Ham Biscuits 

Outstanding Hot Beverage 

Tea Forte: Vanilla Pear Tea 

Outstanding Ice Cream, Gelato, or Frozen Treat  

Steve’s Ice Cream: Speculoos Cookie Butter Ice Cream 

Outstanding Jam, Preserve, Honey, or Nut Butter  

Manicaretti Italian Food Imports: Sicilian Pistachio Spread 

Outstanding Meat, Pâté, or Seafood  

Fra’ Mani Handcrafted Foods: Salametto Piccante 

Outstanding Oil 

Culinary Collective: Castillo de Canena Smoked Arbequina Olive Oil 

Outstanding Pasta, Rice, or Grain  

Nella Pasta: Corn, Caramelized Onion & Thyme Ravioli 

Outstanding Pasta Sauce  

Sauces ‘n Love: Pumpkin and Kale Alfredo Sauce 

Outstanding Salad Dressing  

Nago Foods: Cracked Sesame Miso 

Outstanding Salsa or Dip 

Wozz! Kitchen Creations: Kiwi Lime Salsa Verde 

Outstanding Savory Snack 

Maya Kaimal Fine Indian Foods: Sweet Chili Chickpea Chips 

Outstanding Soup, Stew, Bean, or Chili  

Cook San Francisco: Nona Lim Thai Curry and Lime Broth 

Outstanding Sweet Snack  

Pipsnacks: Kettle Pipcorn 

Outstanding Vegan or Gluten-Free Product  

Tate’s Bake Shop: Gluten Free Ginger Zinger Cookie 

Outstanding Vinegar  

Ritrovo Italian Regional Foods: Organic Apple Balsamic Vinegar 

Outstanding Product Line 

Fat Toad Farm: Farmstead Goat’s Milk Caramel  

Outstanding New Product  

Big Picture Farm: Raspberry Rhubarb Goat Milk Caramels  

The sofi awards contest, now in its 43rd year, is open to members of the Specialty Food Association, owner and producer of the Summer Fancy Food Show. In the spring, a national panel of specialty food professionals and food journalists selected the finalists over eight days of tastings at the Specialty Food Association’s offices in New York.